Minecraft Education vs SplashLearn

Minecraft Education is a game-based learning platform for building digital skills through lessons and classroom activities. Educators can browse more than 600 standards-aligned lessons covering STEM, coding, social and emotional learning, history, language arts, and 21st-century skills. Multiplayer activities support up to 30 students working together without a separate server. Students can capture learning evidence with the in-game Camera and Portfolio, while Code Builder supports block-based coding, JavaScript, and Python through MakeCode. Microsoft Immersive Reader is integrated, and the product includes a teacher dashboard, progress tracking, standards alignment, and offline play. It is available on Windows, ChromeOS, macOS, iOS, and Android phones and tablets. Each user needs a Microsoft 365 account to play with a license. The licensing FAQ says licenses are not compatible with servers, although the download page links dedicated servers for large-scale multiplayer. A free trial is available, but there is no free plan. Direct purchase for qualified educational organizations costs $5.04 per user per year; commercial organizations pay $36 per user per year.

SplashLearn is a game-based math and English learning program for elementary learners from Pre-K through Grade 5. It combines guided lessons and practice with more than 8,000 activities, including skill-based games, an interactive book library, live classes, and printable worksheets. Its math and reading curriculum aligns with Common Core, and personalized learning paths use a child’s performance and progress to shape recommendations and daily milestones. Parents can review weekly reports by subject, topic, and skill. The program supports use at home and in classrooms, and offers web access plus iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire tablet apps; Chromebooks are web-compatible. Schools, districts, and teachers can use SplashLearn for free. Teacher-assigned activities are also free for students at home, with 20 minutes of daily practice through classroom-linked access; other activities may require a subscription. Families can begin with a 7-day free trial. The family plan is $7.49 a month when billed annually.